Sunday, 23 June 2013

My lovely sister invited me to stay recently. When I visit London, I walk everywhere because there is always something to see! As usual, I covered miles and miles, so here are a few images of my travels.

All shot with my new Fuji X20.

View From The Millenium Bridge

Bankside sign on the side of the Thames. The letters are 5ft tall!

Covent Garden 8am. Never seen it so quiet!

Sketch artist in Borough Market. Not everyone has a camera!

London Eye reflection. What a surprise, rain in June!

Filming in the lift. All squeeze in! I know the faces, can't place the names!

Wednesday, 19 June 2013

I had a great three-day visit to London staying with my lovely sister, the highlight of which was a prime spot on The Mall to watch my first Trooping The Colour Ceremony.
I chose a spot by 9am and didn't move until 12.30pm, when I walked with thousands of other people to Buckingham Palace for a flypast in the company of the Royal Family.
The weather was fine all morning, and poured down twenty minutes after the whole event finished!!

When all the Guards look the same in red uniforms with huge Bearskins, there is a way to distinguish the Regiments;

Regiment

Tunic Buttons

Badge on Collar

Badge on Shoulder

Plume 'hackle'
on Bearskin

Grenadier Guards

Single

Grenade

Royal
Cipher

White on left side

Coldstream Guards

Pairs

Garter Star

Rose

Red on right side

Scots Guards

Threes

Star, Order of Thistle

Thistle

None

Irish Guards

Fours

Shamrock

Star,
Order of St. Patrick

Blue on right side

Welsh Guards

Fives

Leek

Leek

White and green
on left side

I used my new Fuji X20 camera as a 'snap and shoot' and my Panasonic Lumix G1 with a 45-175mm zoom lens for the close-up shots.

First of all, I chose a prime spot, thankfully in front of all these people!!

The first Guards on parade were the Grenadiers, who were lining the route this year. The Sgt Major is using his pace stick to get the Guards equally spaced along The Mall. I think this guard picked up the wrong trousers!!

Welsh Guards parading on

Welsh Guards being saluted by a stretcher-bearer party.

Grenadier Lance-Corporal saluting.

Royals arriving. Prince Harry with the Duchess of Cambridge and Duchess of Cornwall.

The Massed Band of all the Regiments leads the Troop off Horseguards.

King's Troop Royal Horse Artillery. They fired a 41-gun salute in Green Park.